Sparring

Back from my yearly Adirondack sojourn. The family and I enjoyed copious amounts of North Country fun: swimming, hiking,canoeing, boating, cocktailing and campfire relaxation.
Now, back to the business of law and sporting pursuits. As to the latter, yesterday my Heavyweight sparred in preparation for his 8/31/2012 fight at Mt. Airy Casino in Tannersville PA. Joey sparred Bryant Jennings for 5 rounds. Jennings is a Philadelphia boy who is on the rise at 14-0 and tough as Hell with fast hands and good power. I am very pleased with how Joey handled the work-out. he took some shots and delivered some quality shots too. The overall experience sharpened his confidence and certainly helped get him ready for the Friday fight.
saturday will find my son and I in the sunflowers hunting doves in Delaware...so a Sportsman's weekend is on the card. If schedule permits, we will finish the weekend betting the Penna. Derby at the racetrack on Monday....hard to believe Summer is waning.

Off Line

Heading to the Adirondacks tomorrow...first a stop on the way in Manhattan and a stay at the Yale Club for the wedding of the daughter of one of my dear friends. ( May even have a drink with the Trad if he and I can get it arranged on the tight schedule.)
The following days will feature fishing,canoeing,water skiing, time with family and friends-that-are-like-family, perhaps some wagering at Saratoga, hiking,swimming,cocktails... and all the singular relaxation that one can find in the Saranac lake region of the North Country. No posts for the duration...carry on.

Skeet Gold

Not a lot of coverage or hoopla for shooters from the U.S.A. Nevertheless, American sportmen were keenly aware of 2 gold medal triumphs in these 2012 games. Specifically, our shotgunners took gold medals in both Men's and Women's Olympic Skeet shooting. U.S. Olympians Kim Rhode and Vincent hancock took the medals in impressive fashion.

Impressive fashion to the tune of Rhodes shooting 99 of 100 and Hancock shooting 148 of 150. If you have ever shot skeet before...you can appreciate how serious an accomplishment was turned in by these young Americans. I do not know if these feats get one on a Wheaties box...but this sportsman is damn impressed.

A Summer Place

A familiar soundtrack...used in Animal House when a young pledge has a moral quandry with a passed out Townie girl. The movie is what the boys are watching in Diner when Mickey Rourke's character has bet that he can get Carol Heathrow to touch his wood. He employs a popcorn box machination to accomplish his goal.

One Summer when I was hanging out at the Bridge Avenue House in Bay Head, I found on the bookshelf the book upon which the movie is based. It was a fun beach read and occupied the weekday slow time until the Lehigh boys came back down to tear it up on the weekend.

Presently, my Summer place is the back patio at my house. One of my favorite things about Summer is a Saturday or Sunday evening drinking a few Meyers's Rum and tonics while I wait for the coals to light. If I am cooking chicken there is ample time to enjoy a few more drinks and perhaps some guacamole or smoked trout mousse in between periodic openings of the grill, flipping of bird, and application of sauce. If it is Sunday evening and we do not have guests,this is the time I can devour the Sunday NY Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Cooking steak or fish is more time sensitive and precise so the liesure is restricted.

I only cook with charcoal. My Dad was a charcoal adherent and used a plug in electric loop device to light the fire. He was a biochemist and eschewed the use of lighter fluid. To hear him tell it, the residual petroleum toxins imparted to the food would hammer your liver or make your scrotum shrivel or something in between....suffice it to say, being raised with this repeated warning was enough to keep Kingsford liquid from appearing in my barbecue regimen. He used a Weber; I have graduated to a bigger cast iron grill with removable porcelain grates which affords better tempature control on a larger cooking surface and more smoking options. Pictured is the patio....and the grill....you can almost hear the theme in your head.

Throwing the Game

Now, I am not so sure that a backyard game which we used to play with beers in hand should really be an Olympic Sport. Badminton was something we played at cook outs and usually devolved into a session of whacking misquitos with the raquets. We did play it in gym in Junior High. Despite one's opinion of this sport/game....it seems there is some unsportsmanlike conduct taking place over in London. This report hit my computer this A.M. from NBC Olympics:

Both China's Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli and South Korean's Jung Kyung Eun and Kim Ha Na appear to attempt to throw their women's doubles badminton match.
LONDON (AP) — Eight female badminton doubles players were disqualified from the London Olympics after trying to lose matches to receive a more favorable place in the tournament, Indonesia's team leader said Wednesday.
The Badminton World Federation investigated two teams from South Korea and one each from China and Indonesia. It accused them of "not using one's best efforts to win a match" and "conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport" in matches Tuesday night.
Erick Thohir, the head of Indonesia's Olympic team, told The Associated Press that the Indonesian team will appeal. He also accused China of losing on purpose in the past.